The Isle of Man continues to strengthen its political and economic relations with China as part of a broader strategy to raise the Island's international profile and generate new business opportunities.

Spaces could have been filled twice over within two hours!

All 400 spaces for the Motorcycle Off-Road Experience (MORE) went within a few hours of registration going live, with 341 spaces going within the first sixty minutes.

The sessions are for members of the public to try off-road riding for the first time for a nominal fee of £15 at a four day festival in June.

Registration was via an online booking system through the MCI’s contact centre, which began taking reservations from 9am on Thursday 16th of May on a first come first served basis. 

MORE was conceived by a sub-section of the MCI’s Off-Road group – which includes major manufacturers and off-road sporting bodies. The group’s objective is to introduce off-road riding to a new audience.

The event was trialled in September last year to overwhelming success, which is why it was repeated and expanded from 1 day to 4 and from 100 places to 400.

Honda, Kawasaki, KTM, Yamaha and Suzuki are pooling resources to provide bikes, kit and world class training over a four day period between 13th and 16th of June.

This was the first time the MCI’s commercial contact centre had staged an event with a live registration deadline and MCI Contact Centre Supervisor, Neil Brown was thrilled with the outcome: “It was a bit like mission control at Houston just before 9 am.  We were all standing around nervously, but once we hit the hour, the registration pages were filling up and the system worked like clockwork.  The spaces could have been filled twice over within two hours.”

Howard Dale, General Manager for Kawasaki and Chairman of the MCI’s Off-Road Group, which has organised the event, says:  “We were overwhelmed by the response.  We suspected the places might go quickly like last year, but we weren’t sure 400 places would go quite as fast as they did. 

“We have clearly identified a huge demand for this type of event.  People are obviously very interested in off-road riding, but don’t know how to get started and if last year’s event was anything to go by, once people try it – they’re hooked!”

Steve Kenward, CEO of the MCI: “The MCI is delighted in the interest this event has generated.  Off-road motorcycling is the most accessible route to taking part in motorsport and the opportunity this day offers has clearly captured the imagination of a lot of people keen to try it for themselves for the first time”. 

Those who’ve missed out, should still join the waiting list.  It is highly likely some spaces will become available nearer the date and anyone who registers is in with a chance of winning an off-road holiday with Trailblazer-pro in Spain, as well as getting tickets for the Dirt Bike Show at a reduced price, only available to those who register.

They will also be informed first about similar events in the future.

People who would like to add their names to the list should follow the registration link via: www.rideoffroad.co.uk

Following the success of the 2012 search, the organisers of Motorcycle Live, the UK’s biggest bike show, are once again looking for real people to represent the length and breadth of the British biking community in the 2013 advertising campaign.    

Motorcyclists of all genres, shapes and sizes are welcome to apply, with 15 successful candidates being invited to a special photo and film shoot. The photographs and footage will form the print and online advertisements for Motorcycle Live 2013, which will take place at The NEC, Birmingham from 23 November to 1 December.   

Hopeful entrants can apply via the Motorcycle Live Facebook page by demonstrating their passion for all things two-wheeled. They must submit one photo that best represents their love of motorcycling and up to 100 words explaining why they should be chosen. The lucky winners will also receive a Motorcycle Live goody bag worth up to £250 containing show tickets, weekend passes for British Superbikes at Brands Hatch and loads of motorcycling gear.

“Last year’s search for stars proved so popular and we had so many entries that we wanted to give people another chance to take part,” explains Finlay McAllan, Managing Director of event organisers, MCI Exhibitions. “We’ll once again be looking for people to represent the show’s audience, which in the broadest terms is motorcycle enthusiasts. They may ride a sports bike or a scooter, they may collect classics or build custom machines – whatever their two-wheeled interest, Motorcycle Live is aimed at them and we want real people to represent that in our ads.”

For more details and to enter, visit www.facebook.com/motorcyclelive

Coaching motorcyclists to advanced riding standard comprehensively improves their skills and attitudes, according to a study published by road safety charity, IAM.  

Respondents said undertaking the IAM advanced riding course made them feel safer, more confident, more attentive, more observant and more decisive in their riding. By doing so it also adds to their enjoyment on the road.  

The top five reasons for taking the IAM advanced test were:  

• To improve general standard of riding
• To become a safer rider
• To reduce the risk of being involved in an accident
• To become a more confident rider
• For achievement/challenge  

Riders under the age of 30 were more likely to identify ‘improving my general standard of riding’ as a reason for taking the test and to obtain cheaper insurance.   Younger riders also showed a pleasing level of responsibility as they  were more likely to select ‘to demonstrate to others that my riding was of a high standard’ and ‘to influence other peoples’ riding’ as reasons for taking the test.   Results of the survey showed:  

• Ninety-nine per cent of riders said the IAM advanced test had a permanent positive effect on them as a rider.
• Ninety-seven per cent of respondents said that the IAM advanced test had increased their enjoyment from riding.
• Ninety-four per cent of respondents said that the IAM advanced test had made them safer riders.
• Sixty-one per cent of respondents said that taking the advanced test had helped them to avoid a specific accident or incident.  

IAM chief executive Simon Best said: “The IAM advanced riding qualification makes motorcyclists safer and more skilled. Motorcycling has a positive role to play in reducing congestion and emissions and should not be held back by safety concerns. We want to work with the government, manufacturers, dealers, police and road safety officers to promote the many benefits of safe motorcycling.”

Michael Dunlop took his first ever Superbike TT victory on Sunday afternoon at the Isle of Man TT Races, fuelled by Monster Energy, taking the lead at Ballaugh on the opening lap and going on to build a commanding 40 second victory from fellow Honda riders Cameron Donald and John McGuinness, the latter overcoming a one-minute pit-lane penalty to set a new outright lap record on the final lap.

After a 45-minute delay due to a road traffic accident, the 6-lap race finally got underway at 3.00pm and it was Gary Johnson who set the early pace, the Lincs Lifting Ltd Honda rider holding a 1.5s lead over Dunlop at Glen Helen on lap one with McGuinness a further second back. By Ballaugh Dunlop had taken over at the front, turning the deficit to Johnson into a one second advantage and with an opening lap of 130.842mph, the Honda TT Legends rider held a 3.2s lead over new second placed rider Guy Martin, Johnson now in third ahead of McGuinness, Donald and Bruce Anstey.

By Glen Helen on lap two, Johnson was back up to second, two seconds up on Martin but now 4.4s adrift of the flying Dunlop whilst McGuinness, riding in complete Joey Dunlop livery to celebrate 30 years since the 26-times winner’s first victory for Honda, was still, surprisingly, back in fourth. By the end of the lap though, he was up to second but some 15 seconds down on Dunlop who was continuing to pull away after his first ever 131mph+ lap.

McGuinness’ pit stop was six seconds quicker than third placed Martin but Johnson never got that far having retired at the Nook out of fuel so the leaderboard now read Dunlop, McGuinness, Martin, Donald, Conor Cummins and William Dunlop. However, the latter incurred a 30s penalty for speeding in the pitlane dropping him down the order.

Coming into the second pit stop at the end of lap four, Dunlop was the only rider above 130mph and it stretched his advantage over McGuinness to 30.8s although that soon increased with his Honda TT Legends team-mate being hit with a one-minute pit lane penalty dropping him behind Martin and back to fourth.

Dunlop had now caught McGuinness and Donald on the road with the trio circulating in close formation and all he had to do was continue that for the final laps to claim his fourth TT win. 19 times winner McGuinness was piling on the coals as he desperately tried to get back on the podium but lap five spelt disappointment for sixth placed Dan Stewart who retired at Sulby Village with a holed radiator.

As McGuinness closed in on Martin, Dunlop was able to ease back in the final lap and bring the bike home for a famous win, his eventual winning margin over Donald in excess of 40 seconds. The Australian, like Dunlop, posted a new personal best lap of the Mountain Course but McGuinness was still able to grab some headlines as he set a new outright lap record on the final circuit, 131.671mph, to claim third from Martin and make it a Honda 1-2-3.

Cummins took a good fifth on the Milwaukee Yamaha, the first time he’d completed a six-lap race since 2009 with the third of the Honda TT Legends riders Michael Rutter in sixth. James Hillier took seventh from Anstey, William Dunlop and the sensational Josh Brookes, the Australian finishing in tenth and becoming the fastest ever newcomer in the process, his final lap being a stunning 127.726mph.

In the battle of the privateers, it was Steve Mercer who came out on top in 13th overall, just ahead of Dan Kneen, Ben Wylie and Jamie Hamilton.

Tomorrow's race sees the the Monster Energy Supersport race get away at 10.45 with the Royal London 360 Superstock Race scheduled to take place at 14.00.